13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

13-FEB-1944 RAF Douglas Dakota III (DC-3) FL505 Comilla airstrip collision with Douglas Dakota III (DC-3) 42-100699 USAAF. Has anybody more details on this , especially casualties please.

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

From Colin Cummings "Thought without Anger"

Dakota III FL505 62 Sqdn. Swung on take off and hit three USAAF Dakotas on ground. three crew members killed + 2 other causalities on the ground.

The three killed are Kingswood, Wright and Cunningham
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...ate=1944-02-13

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

Hello,

13-02-1944
No.62 Sqn, Comilla.
Dakota III FL505:"B" (42-24161/10023))
Op: Supply Dropping.

Dakota FL505 took off at 2235 hours on 13th February 1944, detailed to carry Army personnel who were acting as despatchers of a load of 7,500lbs for a supply dropping sortie.
On becoming airborne the aircraft appeared to swing to port and its mainplane struck a USAAF Dakota (42-100699), parked on the fair weather strip in close proximity to the actual runway, FL505 then swung onto two further Dakotas and the three aircraft were set on fire. Of those on board FL505 five were killed and two injured.

416003 P/O (Capt./Pilot) Frederick Henry William KINGSWOOD* RAAF +
112441 Sgt (Nav./B) B WILDSMITH RAFVR _Injured
1118992 F/Sgt (W,Op./Air Gnr.) Charles Frederick WRIGHT RAFVR +
1062701 Sgt (W.Op,/Air Gnr.) Ralph Joseph CUNNINGHAM RAFVR +
1865003 Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr.) H G S SKINNER RAFVR - Injured
1111891 Gunner Frederick Cecil Swann RA (160 Field Regt.) +
1797629 Gunner Leslie COOK RA (52 H.A.A.Regt.) +

P/O Kingswood, Flt Sgt Wright and Sgt Cunningham were buried in the Maynamati War Cemetery, India (now Bangladesh), likewise, Swann and Cook.

Go to https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1252702 - Download - go to p.168 of 534 (pdf).

*
Mr and Mrs F. S. Kingswood, of Grant Avenue, Rose Park (South Australia), have been informed that their son, F. H. W. (Bill) Kingswood, 22, lost his life on air operations in India on February 13 (1944). W/O Kingswood enlisted in June, 1940, and completed his training in Rhodesia (No.8 Draft), and Cape Provinces. Subsequently he proceeded to England and was posted to Coastal Command and captained a Hudson bomber. Later he was transferred with his crew to Ceylon and India. W/O Kingswood was a well-known athlete.

See: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48786202

See also:
Air War For Burma The Allied Air Forces Fight Back in South-East Asia.
Shores,Christopher.
London:Grub Street.2005.
p.161.

Col.

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

Thank you all.

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

There is nothing on the list of USAAF accidents at https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/...y/Feb1944O.htm.

Still according to Joe Baugher's website, 42-100699 was wrecked and was condemned two days later (see http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_5.html).

The other American C-47 set on fire (and so probably destroyed) are not listed AFAIK, but there is 42-100706 that has a story like 42-100699 and was also condemned on 15 February 1944 (same link as above). It may have been involved.

Also a possible casualty of this crash. A 2nd LT Kenneth Lloyd Wells died on 16 February 1944 and was buried in India, and in 1948 brought back to Kansas for burial on US soil (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...th-lloyd-wells). According to http://www.usaafdata.com/search, he was serving with a TCS (Troop Carrier Squadron), no unit number given. According to the accident list above, there was no C-47 accident between 13 and 16 February. On the other hand, Wells could also have died of any other reason (jeep accident, disease, suicide...).

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

I feel a bit silly, because I did a long search resulting in my post above before checking Colin Cummings' "Thought without Anger". The books list the serial of the three US aircraft: 42-100699, 42-100706 and 42-100701. It also adds that there is an unconfirmed report that the two men killed on the ground were sleeping or working on one of these aircraft and were probably USAAF.

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

Laurent,

2nd Lt Kenneth L. Wells not related to Comilla airstrip collison. See https://www.ww2gp.org/bio-file/bioFi...etveteran=5049

Regards,

Leendert

Re: 13-FEB-1944 Comilla airstrip collision
 

Thanks Leendert